Of Blown Notes and Fair Votes
by Kinlor
Summary: Just a little piece from somewhere within The Awkward Silence series. "Kurt is accused by Puck of blowing the high F." the cliché "I heard you sing that note" I know. It's just a little piece.


**A/N:** Just a little piece from somewhere within The Awkward Silence series that's been sitting on my desktop for a few weeks. It's previous to the most recent stuff but after 'Of Awkward Silences in a Dirty Bathroom and Sincere Apologies'. I'm working on two new parts as we speak, I swear.

* * *

After the phone call the day before Kurt had his mind made up before he even set foot on school grounds that morning, hell, before he went to sleep the night before. It hurt, that pang in his chest, as he stood in front of his fellow Glee Club members, singing with a heavy heart. The array of emotions from shocked to impress to even a little intimidated(Rachel) and he was going to let all of them down. He was going to let himself down. He was going to let his father down. No matter how he looked at it. His father had fought for him to have this chance, yet this chance was just going to hurt his father if he actually succeeded. There was no real winning either way, but there was a lesser of two evils. It was a hateful, unfair, painful cycle that he could never seem to win. So, when he reached the moment of that high F, the note he'd spend hours practicing, perfecting, that note he knew was his ace in the hole, he flopped. He fumbled it. He stood at the front of the choir room, in front of all his Glee Mates, face red in shame.

"Okay," Mr. Schuester called for attention as Kurt fell into his seat beside Mercedes, trying to remain as dignified as possible under the piteous, patronizing looking on Schuester's face as Mercedes cooed to him, "you did great, baby."  
"Please, Mercedes." Kurt looked at her, the smallest, kindest smile he could muster, "I know I blew it. I expect you to be honest and vote accordingly."

Mercedes frowned but nodded her head as she accepted one of the slips of paper that were being passed around. Kurt didn't even bother. He shuffled through his bag as Schuester counted votes at the piano to keep himself from staring or biting his nails.

"Well," Mr. Schuester turned to the room, "looks almost unanimous. Congratulations Rachel."

Rachel, per her usual self, got to her feet and turned to thank a room full of people who frankly didn't care, and half of which probably would've voted for Kurt had he not demanded fairness. Kurt waited just long enough for what was polite before he got up and left the choir room. He didn't really have the heart to sit there. He got a text, well several, from Mercedes. Her worry was heartwarming and made him smile as he replied that he was fine and would be waiting at his SUV.

He'd managed to get his things from his locker and even as far as the door to the student parking lot when he heard the scuffle of sneakers on the dirty linoleum floor. He paused and took a breath. The last thing he wanted to do was deal with Neanderthal jocks that apparently waited around for him. He picked up the pace a little in the hopes of getting out to his car before they caught up. He was a good twenty feet from the door when someone called to him.

"Hey."

Well that certainly wasn't Karofsky or one of his posse because they wouldn't even have bothered to address him before grabbing him up. But he knew the voice and it was definitely a surprise.

"Leave me alone, Puckerman." Kurt made an attempted for annoyed but it sounded rather halfhearted even to him. They'd been on decent terms since the whole exchange in the bathroom but still, Puck coming after him…  
"What gives?" Puck's indignation interrupted Kurt's thoughts.  
Kurt sighed heavily and turned to face the taller boy, "What?"  
"I wanna know what gives." Puck said walking around Kurt. The soprano followed him with his eyes.  
"I established that," said Kurt. "But I'm not sure what exactly that is even in reference too." Kurt attempted to move past him but Puck wasn't having it.  
"Don't get smart," Puck said. "You let Berry win. That ain't cool. That's like an ego boost she doesn't need."  
Normally Kurt would've taken the opportunity to point out just how big Puck's own ego was and how hypocritical that was of him but he was too busy being scandalized.  
"I did _not_ let her win." He bristled.  
"Yeah. You did." Puck said pointedly. "I heard you hit that girl note."  
Kurt stiffened, "What?"  
"Dude, try not practicing at school if you don't want anyone to hear you. Now, answer the question. Why did you blow it?"

Kurt didn't answer. He was shaking in a combination of rage and embarrassment.

"C'mon dude. You were all about that song. You fucking dad came up here- you could hear him half way down the hall when he was bitchin' up a storm to Figgin's. What gives?"

What the hell? He didn't even understand why Puck cared so much. So what if Kurt blew the note. Why would anyone care? It didn't matter. They didn't understand. They wouldn't be able to even if they knew because it was all so much different for them. Kurt took a deep breath to calm down and slowly let it out before speaking again.

"You wouldn't understand."

The weight of the words, heavy in the air, came out sounding far more significant than he had intended, but they seemed to strike Puck. The jock seemed to just stare, like Kurt was a puzzle and it was making his stomach flip so he took advantage of Puck's distracted state and went around him.

"Whoa. Hell no," Kurt stiffened and jerked his arm away the moment Puck's hand wrapped around his upper arm. "That's not good enough. You could've put Berry in her place. Since when do you pass that up?"  
"Puck…" Kurt could hear the defeat in his own voice. "Some things are just more important."

He took a step back before Puck could reach for him again and turned toward the school doors.

"I voted for you." He heard Puck say.  
"As surprisingly kind, or maybe unsurprisingly vindictive toward Rachel as that is, you were suppose to vote for the better vocalist."  
"Well I thought I did." Puck sounded… upset? Put off?

When Kurt spun around to look at him, Puck was already heading back down the hall toward the choir room. The only thing that kept Kurt from calling after him was that he wasn't even sure he'd really heard the words. Besides, he didn't really want to risk it having just been his mind because so far that day, they'd been the best things that had happened too him, and he kind of needed them. Kurt didn't even mind that they'd come, surprisingly, from Noah Puckerman.

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**A/N** I know the cliché "I heard you sing that note", but whatever. I don't care.


End file.
